Moodulation
by Liselle129
Summary: This is a tag to the Emotion Sickness episode, explaining how Shego got rid of the Moodulator and why she didn't kill Drakken in the process. Now a multichapter story.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Kim Possible or have any claim to it.

Author's Note: I know, I should be working on Summer Break, and I'm sorry. The next chapter's about half done. This idea has been rolling around in my head for a while, and I was hoping that writing it would help me to focus on my main project. Ninnik Nishukan also covered this, but I wanted to do my own take on what might have happened after an enraged Shego chased Drakken toward the horizon at the end of Emotion Sickness. This loosely fits with my other stories.

**Moodulation**

He wasn't going to make it. That thought kept repeating itself over and over in Drakken's mind as he ran for his life toward the outskirts of town and his lair. Shego was 15 years younger, in much better shape, less burdened by heavy clothing, and fueled by mindless fury. He was getting a stitch in his side, and he didn't even know what he would do if he managed to get to the lair. He just had a vague idea that he could find something there to help him.

Inevitably, however, Shego caught up with him and tackled him to the ground. Oddly enough, this was not the first time she'd tackled him today, although the motives earlier had been very different.

Drakken continued to struggle, fighting desperately to keep green, glowing hands away from him while simultaneously searching for the Moodulator unit. She was the superior fighter, however, and she quickly got one of his arms pinned. When her knee pressed into a place dangerously close to his groin, he froze, afraid to move. She reared back, that twisted expression of rage still fixed on her face, and lifted her free hand to launch a point-blank plasma blast.

_This is it_, he thought, feeling a strange sense of calm come over him. _I'm going to die at the hands of my crazed sidekick, thanks to an ill-advised invention. And it's not even mine!_ He closed his eyes, waiting for the deathblow.

It never came. Instead, he heard a distinct cracking sound and got a whiff of ozone. The faint, green glow behind his eyelids faded away. Cautiously, he cracked open first one eye, then the other. Shego was still on top of him, but instead of enraged, she now looked confused.

"Dr. D? What…?" Blinking, she rolled off of him into a sitting position. Then, she got angry again. "What did you do to me?"

"It wasn't me!" he protested. "Why on earth would I want to make you into a homicidal maniac?"

"Okay, I guess you've got a point," she admitted after a tense pause. "So what happened to me?"

"I, uh, have a theory," Drakken hazarded, raising his hands in the universal gesture of surrender. "May I?" Shego looked at him quizzically, then slowly nodded. He used one hand to lift her hair out of the way while he searched her neck with his eyes, trying not to think about the fact that this probably resembled checking someone for ticks after being in the woods.

When he found the offending item, it even looked a little like a tick – sort of round, with sharp, pointed legs that gripped the skin. He removed it and brought it out so Shego could see.

"What is that thing?" she demanded, lip curling in distaste.

"I believe Bortel called it a Moodulator," he explained, turning it over in his hands. Such a small thing to cause so much trouble. "You and Kim Possible must have 'acquired' them when you were fighting in his lab." The thing bore one large crack down the middle, with several smaller cracks radiating out from it. It must have shorted out somehow.

"Kimmie had one of these, too?"

"So it seems. Two relay devices with one controller."

"What's it supposed to do?"

"Obviously, it's for controlling emotions, although it's a bit rudimentary," Dr. Drakken replied. "It selects one basic emotion at a time and forces the subject to experience only that feeling."

"What could possibly be the point of that?"

"I have no idea," Drakken admitted. "Group therapy sessions?" There was a long pause, during which he puzzled over what could have caused the malfunction. He'd been pretty occupied at the time, but he thought that Kim Possible had managed to override hers as well. Maybe there was a clue there.

"Did I…did we…?" Shego asked awkwardly, breaking into his thoughts.

"What?" he asked distractedly.

"I…seem to have a memory of…a photo booth." She was staring at the ground, and Drakken immediately realized that she was referring to their lip-lock.

"Er, yes. That happened," he responded awkwardly. There seemed to be nothing else to say, so he watched her closely to see how she reacted to his confirmation. She just sat there, staring blankly.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out suddenly. "For…everything."

He wondered whether she was apologizing for trying to kill him, for kissing him, or both, but he was afraid to ask.

"That's all right," he said. "You weren't yourself." That was certainly true, yet Drakken felt a certain, vague emptiness. He'd been completely freaked out when she'd begun flirting with him, so why did he now have the feeling he was going to miss it. He shook his head in an effort to clear it. Evidently, Moodulators could have almost as profound an effect on bystanders as on the people who actually had them attached. He stood up and brushed himself off, still grasping the defunct item in his hand.

"I'll be going back to the lair now," he announced, leaving the invitation to her unspoken but hopefully implied. He walked away, and she made no move to follow, which was probably just as well. A little time apart would do them both good just now.

Drakken occupied his time by trying to determine how the Moodulator had broken. The only thing he could think of was that some deep-seated emotion had risen up and overwhelmed the limited circuitry of the device. So…deep down, Shego didn't want him dead, and he doubted that it was just because he was her employer. Even she couldn't possibly have that much emotional attachment to money. The only logical conclusion was that, at some level, she actually cared about him. That was interesting, and it was something to remember the next time she got irritated and started threatening him with her plasma.

The problem solved as well as he thought it was going to be, Dr. Drakken dropped the Moodulator to the ground and crushed it under his heel. He had no further use for it, and he didn't imagine that anyone else did, either.


	2. Moodulation Aftermath

Disclaimer: I do not own Kim Possible or have any claim to it.

Author's Note: I had been asked if I was going to add to this story, and several of you have recently been reviewing and requesting more, so I decided it was time to get off the mark and actually finish this continuation. I do expect this to remain a fairly short story – maybe 3 or 4 chapters. I am trying to remain consistent with my own Drakgo universe, so I don't want to carry this tale too far and potentially collide with either canon or my other writings.

I am working on The College Years: Freshman Year, but it's going very slowly. I was hoping this shorter project would help to get me back into the Kim Possible world.

**Moodulation Aftermath**

Shego sat alone for a long time, only shifting when she started to feel stiff or something on the ground became uncomfortable. There was no conscious thought involved with these movements, merely the instinctual response of her body. Her mind was fully occupied in reviewing everything that had happened over the past day or two.

The "Moodulator Incident," as it would come to be known, was quite possibly the worst thing that had happened to Shego in her entire career, including both the hero and villain years. She'd worked so hard to keep her emotions tightly controlled, avoiding intimacy of any kind (the purely physical variety didn't count) and preserving herself from pain. This one, demonic device had thrown all of that effort out of the window in no time at all. Mercifully, her memories of things she had done had a sort of distant, dreamlike quality. Her consciousness might have been somehow veiled by the intense feelings that had gripped her at the time, or maybe it was just a side effect of the invention.

Unfortunately, what she _did_ remember made her cringe, and she couldn't help wondering how much worse the actual events must have been. She'd cried uncontrollably in front of her boss…before flirting outrageously with him. Finally, she'd attempted to kill him in a fit of rage that she could not now comprehend. Sure, he could be annoying, and demanding, and more than a little needy. And yes, she had been known to threaten him with her powers before. She'd never really meant anything by it, though, and she thought he understood that. Why else would he keep her on? Nobody wants a sidekick who might murder you in your bed without warning. Shego was snarky and dangerous but generally loyal. The question of _why_ she remained loyal was something to be analyzed another time. Or not.

At last, Shego got gingerly to her feet. It was truly night by now, the landscape lit only by the moon and stars above and the city glow of Middleton behind her. That was plenty of light for someone who was accustomed to skulking around in the dark. While she was still not certain what all of the ramifications of this roller-coaster day would be, she needed to get back to the lair. Maybe things would look different once she'd had a good night's rest. She was clearly in no condition to make any major life decisions now.

She was glad that Dr. D had left her here, to sort things out on her own. Would he be expecting her back tonight? Ever? His departure had been fairly neutral, but she thought she'd detected a subtle invitation in it. Despite her resolution not to make any decisions tonight, Shego couldn't help wondering if their working relationship could survive this. Things would have to be awkward between them, at least for a while. Could they eventually forget about it, as they routinely forgot about all past failures to work on a new plan? Would things really go back to normal? Did she want them to?

That last thought brought Shego up short. She stopped mid-stride, almost losing her balance before remembering to put her foot back down on solid ground. Where had _that_ come from? Since when had she…?

Moonlight reflected off of something on the ground, providing a welcome interruption to her uncomfortable train of thought. Focusing on it, she saw that it was the very device that Dr. D had pulled off her neck earlier. Crouching down to view it more closely, it looked as if he'd stepped on it before moving on, cracking it further. Suddenly, that wasn't enough. Anger rushed through her, and while it wasn't the insane rage that had overcome her before, the emotion was still strong. Summoning her power, she incinerated the offensive object. Watching its ashes smolder, Shego took a deep breath and felt a little bit better.

Arriving at the lair, Shego paused. Was she honestly ready to face this place and what she might have done to it? Was she prepared to face _him_? Squaring her shoulders, she decided that she was going to have to do it sometime; it might as well be now.

She needn't have worried. When the door opened at the press of her palm, loud noise greeted her. Following the sound led her to Dr. D's laboratory/office. Peeking in curiously, she could see Dr. D busy attacking one of the walls with an industrial-sized sander of some kind. He was wearing goggles and hearing protection; a stampede of bison could have come in before he would notice anything. Sparing a glance for what he was so dead-set on sanding before she went on her way, Shego suppressed a shudder. The wall was sporting a decoration that hadn't been there a few days ago – a giant heart. And if she wasn't mistaken, her initials and Dr. D's were inside it.

_Did I do that? _she thought, horrified anew. It did look like the work of her plasma. She retreated quickly to her room. Once there, she sat down again in a state of shock, trying to assimilate this new information. Eventually, she realized that she felt very grimy and thought that a shower might help both her physical and emotional well-being. No sooner was the thought completed than she was heading for the bathroom of her suite. The hot water did, in fact, wash away much of her accumulated stress. By the time she was dried and in her pajamas, the mental and physical exhaustion of the day caught up with her, and she discovered that she was too tired even to think. She sank rapidly into a heavy sleep, content to save any problems her erratic behavior might have caused for the morning.

* * *

Dr. Drakken shut the sander off and pushed his safety goggles up onto his head, sitting back to admire his handiwork. This might not be the best tool for the job, but he had made progress. The lower portion of the heart was greatly faded now, and the S and G were no longer readable. Not bad for an evening's efforts.

After wiping the sweat off of his forehead, he checked his watch and frowned. It had been over two hours since he came back, and he hadn't seen any sign of Shego yet. Then again, he'd been absorbed in his noisy task, and she could walk silently when she wanted to. Wasn't that part of the reason he'd taken up this project in the first place? So that she could avoid him if she wished?

However, he had underestimated how concerned he would be. He tapped his fingers against his chin thoughtfully. Of all of the women in the world, Shego was probably the one most able to take care of herself. Still, she'd seemed so vulnerable, earlier…she could not be happy that she'd shown weakness in front of him. Would she quit? Was it possible she'd already run off? Was she just wandering around in the dark?

Drakken didn't think that his sidekick would leave without at least taking her personal effects. She'd learned to travel light, naturally, but when she had the chance, there were a few things she always preferred to move with her. Of course, it was possible that she could have snuck in, retrieved those items, and left, without him being any the wiser.

Standing up, he pulled out his earplugs and decided to check her room. As he drew closer to her suite, though, he discovered that such an action wasn't really necessary. He heard the distinctive sound of water running – specifically, a shower. He breathed a sigh of relief. She was at the lair after all, likely intending to at least spend the night. No decisions needed to be made just yet, and he didn't have to either enter her personal space or risk insulting her by searching for her outside.

Even as Drakken moved away, he heard the water stop. For the first time in their long association, it occurred to him that Shego was naked in there. He didn't allow himself to dwell on such thoughts for long, of course. When she was in her right mind, she'd been perfectly clear about the boundaries of their relationship. Not that he'd ever really seen her in anything other than a professional light. Well, not _seriously_, anyway. He was only human, at the end of the day, but…what sane man would want to venture into such dangerous waters? No, it was much better for them to maintain a certain, respectful distance. Besides, he'd resigned himself to a life without romance some 20 years ago, and only once in all that time had he attempted to pursue it. His temporary insanity regarding Dr. Amy Hall still irked him. That entire episode had been ill-advised and disastrous, convincing him that he was better off with ambition as his only mistress.

Now that he thought about it, he was filthy, and even his seemingly boundless energy was reaching its limit. He strode to his private rooms, took his own shower, and went to bed.

* * *

Author's Note: I'm sorry this is sort of short, but a) the next scene was getting too long, and I figured my readers would rather have a short chapter than have to wait a couple more weeks and b) the first chapter was only about 1,000 words, and I like to keep the chapters of my multi-chapter stories roughly the same length.

I want to give a blanket thank you to everyone who reviewed. You helped inspire me to come up with a little more story to tell here.


	3. The Morning After

Disclaimer: I do not own Kim Possible or have any claim to it.

Author's Note: So, here's the next chapter. I can't deny that I enjoyed the double entendre of the title.:)

**The Morning After**

Shego awoke the next morning feeling refreshed and much more optimistic about everything. This didn't have to be the end of the world unless she let it be, and that was the last thing she was intending to do. She paused in selecting her outfit for the day. Usually, she wore her uniform when working, but she sort of doubted she'd be asked to do anything work-related today. Therefore, she settled for a t-shirt and jeans before brushing and arranging her luxurious, black hair.

She still wasn't sure how she was going to face Dr. D, but it was definitely time to do it. As usual, he was awake already, despite having probably stayed up later than she had. Sometimes, she suspected her boss of being powered by the sun, like Superman.

She heard noises and followed them to the kitchen. The blue-skinned scientist was wearing an apron and mixing a large bowl. He had apparently set aside the blue lab coat and was wearing a black t-shirt with dark blue pants. Shego paused in the doorway, tilting her head to regard him before he noticed her presence. He looked…different, somehow. It wasn't just the apron or the casual attire – after all, it wasn't as though she hadn't seen him like this before. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was definitely something new about his appearance. Was it some residual effect of her attraction to him yesterday? Shaking her head to clear it of disorientation, she strode purposefully into the room just as Dr. D looked up and saw her. He looked a little uncomfortable, but that was only to be expected.

"Good morning, Shego," he greeted cheerfully – entirely _too_ cheerfully, as far as Shego was concerned. Nobody had the right to be that chipper in the morning. "I'm afraid I went a little overboard with the batter. Would you like some waffles?"

"I'll have _one_," she accepted the offer as she wrapped her typical attitude around her like a cloak. "Your waffle-maker is the size of Kansas." She went to the refrigerator to find some berries to put on her breakfast. Five strawberries and a pint of blueberries. It would have to do. She washed them off in the sink while Dr. D poured batter into the waffle iron.

"Well, I _like_ waffles," he responded defensively. He pressed the top of the appliance down so the first waffle could begin to cook. Shego noticed that he'd even started her a pot of coffee – he didn't drink it. In fact, she shuddered to think what he would be like on caffeine. His periodic sugar rushes were bad enough. The guy had a sweet tooth to equal the average elementary school. And why did some part of her suddenly find that cute?

Repressing the urge to growl out her frustration, Shego got out a mug to wait for the coffee to be ready. She then put the clean berries in a bowl and set them on the table before taking a seat. The silence started to stretch out. Dr. D occupied himself with watching the waffle-iron intently, waiting for it to finish.

It seemed clear that he was no more interested in raising yesterday's events than she was. The question, then, was how much did they need to clear the air before moving forward? There had certainly been plenty of things over the years that they had remained silent on – perhaps too many, to tell the truth. Maybe it was time to stop that. On the other hand, she wasn't certain she was ready to face the present issue head-on. Finally, she decided on an oblique approach.

"So…doing a little redecorating?" she asked. Dr. D's eyes darted towards her before returning to their scrutiny of the inoffensive waffle-iron.

"You saw that?" he responded.

"It was kind of hard to miss."

"Ah, yes," he agreed uncomfortably. "A few…minor renovations seemed in order." He maneuvered the fresh waffle onto a plate and served Shego without meeting her gaze. He cleared his throat as he poured the next batch of batter. "In fact, it may take me several days to complete them. Things will be very noisy and messy, and I know how much you hate that, so maybe you should take a few days off."

The last sentence had come out in a rush, as though Dr. D was afraid he wouldn't get it all out if he didn't hurry the words along. Shego stiffened a little in her seat, but she thought she hid it well. Wasn't this how downsizing went – first the furlough, followed by the layoff?

"You're overdue for a vacation, anyway," he barreled on when she didn't immediately respond. "There must be someplace you'd like to go. The Greek Isles, perhaps? Or Australia? I hear South Africa is nice this time of year."

Normally, of course, Shego would be jumping at the chance to take a vacation, especially in an exotic locale, but something about this whole situation felt wrong. If he offered to pay all her expenses, too, she'd be _really_ worried.

"Are you cashing me out?" she asked bluntly, the taste of waffle suddenly going to paste in her mouth.

"What? No! Of course not!" Her employer looked at her then, really _looked_ at her. He appeared to be genuinely surprised at the suggestion, even shocked. "Although it had occurred to me that…_you _might want to…leave." He returned his attention to the next waffle, which was nearly done.

"I…oh." Studying his profile, Shego finally understood. It was her usual habit to want time alone when personal things came up, and this one was definitely a doozy. So he was offering her both time and space with no strings attached and in a manner that allowed her to salvage whatever was left of her dignity. It was an opportunity, in other words, for her to work things out in her own mind before they decided whether or not to continue in their professional association. It was possible that _he_ needed a little distance from the events of yesterday as well, but she didn't believe that was foremost in his thoughts.

"Yeah, I think I could use a break," she agreed, appetite restored. Dr. D extracted his first waffle and started another, buttering the cooked one while he waited. Shego shook her head but said nothing. It was true that she hadn't had any time off for a while, so she savored the meal while she considered her options.

At last, Dr. D had his breakfast ready and sat down at the table across from her. By this time, Shego was nearly done despite enjoying her waffle in a rather leisurely manner.

"You know, it wouldn't kill you to take a vacation, either," she remarked before popping a berry into her mouth. "When was the last time you took a real break? And prison doesn't count."

"Evil genius never rests, Shego."

"No kidding. It seems like most of the time, you stay up later than me but you're still up earlier. How much do you sleep – 6 hours a night?"

"Five and a half," he snapped. "Less when I'm immersed in a project. My superior brain doesn't require much sleep."

"Whatever." It felt good to banter again, even at such a low level. Maybe there was still hope that things didn't have to get weird between them. She finished her meal and carried the dishes to the sink. "I guess I'd better go pack."

"Have you decided where you're going?"

"New Zealand," Shego nodded, pausing at the doorway.

"New Zealand?" Dr. D blinked at her as though he wasn't sure he heard right.

"Something wrong with that?" she demanded.

"No, I just…never thought you were that interested in sheep."

"Yeah, but it's a place I haven't been, and it's supposed to be beautiful. Of course, it's a very long flight, so I'm going to need at least a week away, probably more."

"Take your time," Dr. D assured her, suddenly very interested in his plate. "Just…keep in touch, all right? That is, I'd like some advance notice when you'll be coming back. So I can plan ahead. You understand."

"Sure thing," she agreed readily. "I've got your cell number." Was it her imagination, or did he seem a little worried? She couldn't fathom what he might be worried about, but she thought she sensed the undercurrent there. Shego quickly shook it off as she went to her room to make preparations. Setting aside the awkwardness and abruptness of this vacation, she was actually starting to look forward to it.

* * *

Author's Note: Just a little bit more to go, I think. Sorry I'm not very focused on my writing lately.

Review responses:

Katsumara: Thanks. I'm really hoping I can get back into the swing of things, but other things have got in the way.

snarky Beth: I hope you do. I kept this in Shego's perspective, but the next chapter will switch between them.

CajunBear73: Indeed, they do have a lot to think about.

u r awesome: Thank you very much! I hope you continue to enjoy it.


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